Handmade Dolls by Jess Quinn

October 11, 2012

Do you have a second to spare? I would like for you to meet a few sweet new friends of mine for just a moment. These ladies are my awesome threesome. They were handmade by Jess Quinn in England and for this photo, I’ve placed them on a linen sofa in my work studio so I could show them to you. Very soon, these charming little ladies will end up in a glass cabinet in my spare bedroom, or on a bench there, and eventually I may hand them down to others in my family who will adore them as much as I do at this moment.

I’m not sure what it is exactly about handmade dolls, but I’ve always have a thing for them. Whether a handmade doll or bear, I’ve always felt a connection to soft toys. I love the details, the stitch work, seeing the seams. Handmade objects are so precious. Someone sat down and not only put great thought into how each doll would look but then, in bringing her to life through embroidered facial expressions and sweet little outfits designed with heart. How can you not be charmed by a pretty doll, but also by the entire process behind it and of the artist behind each sweet little face?

11 Comments

I still think about the handmade dolls I had when I was a kid. Hands down, better than any plastic thing you could find. I can even remember has a girl, thinking about the woman who must have stitched their eyes, and wondering how she did it. They were so special. It’s stuff like that that stays with you forever.

I share your love of cloth dolls Holly. Mine began when my grandmother whipped one up for me out an old dress of hers. She used stockings for it’s hair and the Fabric was a polyester featuring a bold black and gold print. She as not a pretty doll like those you feature but I loved her and it warms my heart to think of it still.

If you love handmade dolls, you will really really love http://www.evangelione.com She’s a dollmaker from Malaysia (my country!) Unfortunately she doesn’t seem to be selling custom made dolls anymore….. And I could not find many in stock the last time I was in Malaysia. But do check out her works of art!!

Sweet! Each of my 3 daughters was given a handmade doll (a Waldorf doll) before they were 2 and they have been the most treasured of all their toys. My 13 year old still sleeps with hers. There is something so precious about having a handmade doll of soft materials – they are to be treasured.